Three projects could bring 7.7 percent property tax increase

Thursday

Mar 7, 2013 at 8:00 AMMar 13, 2013 at 2:23 PM

At the Montevideo City Council meeting on Monday, March 4, the council approved a time-line of events for the construction of a new fire hall; roof repairs and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) repairs at city hall; and roof repairs at the public works building.

Jeremy Jones, staff writer

At the Montevideo City Council meeting on Monday, March 4, the council approved a time-line of events for the construction of a new fire hall; roof repairs and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) repairs at city hall; and roof repairs at the public works building.

City staff advised the council that, while getting on a timeline will be important to get all of the work done, there may be alterations due to a few issues, such as the acquisition of land for the new fire hall, and the final estimation for HVAC repairs, depending on the need.

The construction of a new fire hall is estimated to cost $2.535 million.

Montevideo Fire Chief Dave Roelike said the biggest advantage for the department would be the extra space.

"The trucks are parked so close together in there, and down the road the goal has been to add a new pumper truck so that we have three pumper trucks. But there is no room where we could even get another truck in the fire hall," he explained. "The police department wants to use the space we have in (the existing fire hall). It would be an expansion for them, so it kind of benefits two departments."

Police Chief Adam Christ­opher was willing to go into detail as well, and explained the changes the police department and city hall could see if the fire department was given a new building.

"Both the city offices and the police department have outgrown their spaces," he said. "City hall would potentially move into our existing training room to give them more space for storage and extra conference room."

City Manager Steve Jones confirmed that plan.

"The police department would move our training room into the old fire department training room," Christopher said. "We have outgrown our evidence room and need more secure evidence storage space, particularly for long-term evidence storage. We need to hold some evidence indefinitely, such as for homicides ... this type of evidence must be held past all possible appeals, which often can be over decades.

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